The Lack of Love — Corrie Ten Boom

When I was for the first time in America, I had to get used to the beautiful way of introducing me like many people did. Sometimes I almost get a headache by the heat of the halo that people make around my head.

When they tell such very beautiful things about me, I always tell about the woodpecker. You know the woodpecker, that is that bird that ticks with his beak against the stem of a tree. And this woodpecker did the same, and the very moment the lightning struck the tree and destroyed it, and the woodpecker flew away and said to the other birds, I didn't know that there was so much power in my beak.

When there is a blessing tonight, it is the Holy Spirit. And yesterday I felt very happy when I spoke, and there was such a real joyful answer. We together listened to what the Lord had to tell us. This evening I am very honored that your governor is here also, and I thank you that you came.

And I have in my heart just to say a word of prayer for him and for his country. Thank you, Father, in Jesus' name, that we may pray a blessing for this man who has such a tremendous responsibility in a time that there are great tensions in the country and in the whole world.

Bless him and give him the wisdom that you have promised in James 1 .5, that we have only to ask you wisdom and you give liberally, and the bread is not, and it will be given to us. Bless this country, America.

Oh, Lord, I praise and thank you that you have used this country for a blessing over the whole world. But you know also that the enemy, the devil, is busy to do terrible things here. But I praise and thank you, Lord Jesus, that you are stronger than the devil, and will you bless in a very special way this country and this part of the country, Florida.

Thank you. Amen. Yesterday I told the people that I had once forgiven people who had been very mean to me, but I had kept the letters, what they had written to me, so I had all the black and whites of the sins of these friends in these letters.

And John Cheryl said to me, that is not forgiving when you keep these letters. And he prayed, God give Cory the grace to burn all the black and whites of sins of others as a well-smelling sacrifice. And I burned them.

And I invited everyone, when you have sins of others, black and whites, burn it. And I even invited you to burn it before you went to sleep. I hope you have done it. And when you have not done it, then I must tell you that I prayed for you.

I prayed last night, Lord, those people who are not willing to burn the black and whites of sins of others, make that they cannot sleep tonight. That was not very nice. But I don't know, I believe it was nice.

For I know that when they could not sleep and they came to burn all the black and whites of sins of others, that they have slept better than in years perhaps. For it is a great joy when you forgive and even love your enemies.

The Ocean of God's Love in Suffering

I will speak about the ocean of God's love. Have you ever lost courage? Sometimes I lose courage. And then I always read from Ephesians 3 .14 what Paul writes about God's love. Ephesians 3 .14 is written, When I think of the greatness of God's great plan, I fall on my knees before God the Father, from whom all fatherhood, earthly or heavenly, derives its name.

And I pray that out of the glorious riches of his resources, he will enable you to know the strength of the Spirit's inner reinforcement, that Christ may actually live in your hearts by your faith. And I pray that you firmly fixed in love yourself may be able to grasp with all Christians.

And I pray that you firmly fixed in love yourself may be able to grasp with all Christians how wide and deep and long and high is the ocean of love of God, the love of Christ. And to know for yourself that love so far beyond our comprehensions may you be filled through all your being with God himself.

Now to him who by his power within us is able to do far more than we ever dare to ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church through Jesus Christ forever and ever. I stood before a crematorium. It was in a camp where 96 ,000 women died or were killed.

And I did not know before that one week before they killed all the women of my age, I should be set free by a miracle of God and a blunder of men. So when I saw the smoke go up, I asked myself, when will be my time to be killed?

Such moments you lose all the security. There was no security. There was no peace. There was no safety in that camp. But I had Jesus Christ and all these no's had the answer in him that was the divine yes.

In Ephesians 1 we read, He planned in his purpose of love that we should be adopted as his own children through Jesus Christ, that we might learn to praise that glorious generosity of his, which has made us welcome in the everlasting love he bears towards his son.

Did you ever doubt your love for God? I doubted mine. Did you ever doubted God's love for Jesus? Never. And into that love you and I are made welcome. That is not to understand. I tell you this because in the world is a terrible insecurity.

There is no peace. There is no love. There is no safety. In the Bible is written, Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will wax cold, though the man who holds out to the end will be saved. There is a lack of love in the world.

I don't know when you read the Bible and the magazines, that you have the same experience as I, that I tremble. But terrible things there are happening. And the securities of this world are falling away.

And never in my life I have felt so security in Jesus Christ. God's love is in fact the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen. And I know that from experience for all else had fallen in my life.

But God's love still stood. And I am glad that I have experienced it. It is so good to know that there is a terrific work for you and me in this world. Jesus has said, You are the light of the world. And I believe we must understand how very important it is that we are the representatives from heaven in this world for the love of God.

Christians as Ambassadors and Representatives

It is very important that you are called to be an ambassador for Christ. I read in Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians 5, All this is God's doing. For he has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ. And he has made us agents of the reconciliation.

God was in Christ personally reconciling the world to himself. Not counting their sins against them. And has commissioned us with a message of reconciliation. We are now Christ's ambassadors. As though God were appealing direct to you through us.

As his personal representatives we say, Make your peace with God. What is an ambassador? I read it in one of your books. An ambassador is sent forth in an official capacity by a nation's government to represent that government in the territory of another nation.

Their authority is not measured by their own personal ability, but is in a direct proportion to the authority of the government they represent. Say, do you understand what that means? You and I are sent by the King of Kings, by Jesus Christ, to this world.

And it is not our ability. It is the ability of him who has sent us. And that is why we stand on victory ground. I once read a legend. The return of the Lord in heaven. The angels gave him a fantastic welcome.

And they gathered around him full of questions about his death, resurrection and ascension. What is all about, they asked. The redemption of the world, he replied. But you have come back here. How will the world know about it?

I have trained my men to evangelize the whole world. Yes, Jesus said, every corner of it. How many men did you train for such a mammoth task? A handful. A handful? But what if they fail? If they fail, Jesus said, I have made no other plans.

But is that not a great risk to take? And Jesus said, no, they will not fail. That is what Jesus has said about you and me. The Bible calls us more than conquerors. And in this time it is very important that we are alive.

That we are representatives from heaven on this world that is so terrible sick. Is there hope for this world? Yes. The Bible says, who is it that overcomes the world? He that believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

And I know that perhaps all of us believe that Jesus is the Son of God. That means that we have to overcome a dead sick world. And we will not fail for the best is yet to be for this world. Jesus will come and he will make everything anew.

And then the Bible says, this world will be covered with the knowledge of God like the waters cover the bottom of the sea. But in this time we go through difficulties. And I must say that I see the difficulties very, very severe.

When my sister and I were in the concentration camp, we were put into a room with 700 prisoners. It was built for 200. We were pushed together. We didn't know what the enemy was going to do. And I remember that once a few of them started to fight.

That was a danger. But immediately others joined them and we heard swearing and beating and crying. And back she said, Corrie, that's a danger. When the guard should hear that in barrack 28 there was fighting, we all should have been punished in a cruel way.

And Betsy started to pray and she prayed and she prayed and she prayed. And it was as if a storm laid down. We heard less swearing, less crying, less beating. At last it was dead silent. And then Betsy said, Thank you, Lord.

Amen. Now do you see the situation? Here you see a room with 700 prisoners in a great danger. And there was a starving old woman. After some time she starved, Betsy. And God used Betsy to save the situation for these 700 prisoners.

And that is a little bit of an illustration for what you and I are called in this world. The world is in a terrible danger. When Sodom and Gomorrah had had ten righteous people, they should not have been destroyed.

And it is for the world very important that there are children of God, ambassadors of Jesus Christ in this world. And one of the things you have to do in this world is praying. Do you pray for your governor?

Do you pray for your president? Do you pray for all the people who are in high positions? And in America they have not only to carry the responsibility of the country America, but for the whole world.

Do you pray for the peace of Jerusalem? Oh, Jerusalem is in such a great danger. I don't know how few millions of people live in Israel. And they are surrounded by enemies who have perhaps 100 times more people.

And they are gathered and they have everything to overcome them. And it is only by the miracle of God that Israel is still alive and will be alive. Those who bless Abram will be blessed. And that's what I myself have experienced.

And so pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And be faithful and help wherever you can. After the last little war in Israel, where so many people were killed, we have taken two orphanages and we help them financially.

A part of what you have given tonight we will use for these orphans in Israel. Yes, help where you can, but be faithful in your prayer. I know that some of you think, no, I pray sometimes, but I'm not a real prayer warrior.

When I look around and I know, yes, there is sitting a real prayer warrior. That man there. That girl there. That boy there. They are real prayer warriors, but I don't know how to pray for other people.

Are there some of you who think that? Then I must tell you that Paul has said in Romans 8, the Holy Spirit himself will show you how to pray and teach you how to pray. There was a little boy who was said, boy, you must pray.

But he had never prayed in his life. And he went home and he was sitting in the corner of his room. It was in Africa. And suddenly his mother heard him saying A, B, C, D, E, F, G. His mother said, what are you doing?

He said, Mom, they say I must pray, but I have never prayed in my life. So I have said, God, I will give you all the letters of the alphabet. Will you make a good prayer of it? That boy had understood it.

And when you do not know how to pray, then just do the same. But perhaps in another form, but it is the Holy Spirit himself who is willing to help you with your intercession. And the Lord is happy with your intercession.

Surrendering to God's Love and Obedience

This is something that you can show that love of God, not only in the world, but in your heart. For the love of God is brought into your heart by the Holy Spirit who is given to you. And you must act that love of God.

It is written in the Bible that Jesus once said, If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments and live in his love. When you will be filled and surrounded by the love of God, you have to keep the commandments.

You have to obey. But it is not a trying and trying, but it is a surrendering to the Lord who is willing to keep you from falling and present you once blameless in the moment that he will reveal himself in full splendor to men.

Yes, live your life in love. When we are filled with the love of God, the first place love ought to be manifested is to our nearest to us, those in our homes. The greatest place in the world for evangelism is our family.

But until the family sees what you are talking about, they will never hear our words. I like that. I just read that somewhere, but isn't it so? It is often difficult to speak in a house, in a family, but what you are is so important.

And there is that love of God available that makes you a real light of the world in your family. I have understood God's love more than ever before, exactly in that time of hatred, where I was surrounded by people who had had a training in cruelties.

And there I learned what it means to know Jesus Christ. I know him already a long time. When I was five years old, my mother told me, Corrie, you can ask the Lord Jesus to come into your heart. And I did, for mom never told me a lie, so I believed her.

And I asked Jesus to come into my heart, and he came. And he has never let me down. In one of my magazines, I wrote a little poem that I had read somewhere. Said a precious little lady to his father one bright day, May I give myself to Jesus?

Let him wash my sins away? Oh, my son, but you are so little. Wait until you older grow. Bigger folks is true. Do need him. But little folk are safe, you know. Said a father to the lady when a storm was coming on, Are the sheep all safe, safely sheltered?

Safe within the fold, my son? All the big ones are, my father. But the lambs, I let them go. For I did not think it mattered. Little ones are safe, you know. Say, have you a little girl, little boy? Perhaps a little grandson or granddaughter?

Did you ever bring them to Jesus? Do it. Don't wait. Lord Jesus is willing to fill their hearts. Lord Jesus says, let the children come to me. And when you do it, you will experience that love of God will be a great reality in the hearts of your little ones.

And don't wait over time. Now is the time of grace. And let your children enjoy that great joy to have Jesus in their hearts. I remember that I became immediately an intercessor when I was five years old.

That was what mother told me. But I told you that I learned in the concentration camp more of God's love than ever before. I once had a little problem. I said to Betsy, I have caught a cold and I have no handkerchief.

Or must I do? Or Kleenex? There was nothing. Betsy said, pray. I did what you did. I laughed. But she folded her hands and she said, Father, in Jesus' name, I pray that you will give Corrie a handkerchief.

She has caught a cold. Amen. And I smiled. But do you know what happened? I heard that my name was called out and I went to the window and there stood my friend, also a prisoner who worked in the hospital.

I said, can you visit me? She said, no, no, I'm not free. But here's a little present. I opened it. It was a handkerchief. I said, why in the world do you bring me a handkerchief? Did you know that I had caught a cold?

She said, no, but I found an old sheet. And I was making from that sheet handkerchiefs. And when I was sewing them, there was a voice in my heart who said, bring a handkerchief to Corrie ten Boom. Can you understand what a handkerchief can tell you on such a moment?

That told me that there is in heaven a Father who hears it when on a very small planet, the earth, someone prays for an impossible small thing, for a handkerchief. And that Father in heaven tells one of his other children, give a handkerchief to Corrie ten Boom.

That is the foolishness of God. But the foolishness of God is the greatest wisdom. You know, I once saw a father with a very little girl and that girl cried because she had a very old, dirty doll and it had broken.

And the father said, come here, bring your doll to daddy. And he repaired that old, dirty doll. When I saw that, I thought, how in the world can a grown-up man take such a valueless thing as such a dirty old doll and give his time to mend it?

The answer was, he saw that doll through the eyes of the little one because he loved the little one. And so God sees your problems because he loves you and he sees your problems through your eyes. And there's nothing too great for his power and nothing too small for his love.

I read a little poem of someone who had experienced that love of God and what it means to pray for everything. Jesus heard when you prayed last night. He talked with God about you. Jesus was there when you fought your fight.

He is going to bring you through. Jesus knew when you shed those tears. So you did not weep alone, for the burden you thought too heavy to bear, he made it his very own. Jesus himself was touched by that trial you could not understand.

Jesus stood by as you almost fell and lovingly grasped your hand. Jesus cared when you bore that pain. Indeed he bore it too. He felt each bang, each ache in your heart because of his love for you. Jesus was grieved when you doubted his love, but he gave you grace to go on.

Jesus rejoiced as you trusted him. The most trustworthy one. His presence shall always be with you. No need to be anxious or fret. Wonderful Lord, he is there all the time. He has never forsaken you yet.

That woman has understood what it means to live under the shadow of the Almighty, to live in the love of God and even when the worst happens in your life, the best remains because Jesus is Victor. I remember that once Betsy and I and our whole barrack was sent to roll call a whole hour too early.

At three o 'clock we had to go into the icy cold night and stand there three hours. And now it was too early and Betsy and I made a walk over the camp. Everything was dark. And Betsy said something and then I said something and then Jesus said something.

We walked with the Lord and we talked with the Lord. How the Lord spoke I don't know, but we both understood what he said. That was a little bit of heaven in the midst of a hell. And Jesus said, Lord I am with you always till the end of the world.

And we can depend on it. We cannot always, we can never understand the whole ocean of God's love. There was in Haarlem a minister who told me that every Sunday there came a little feeble minded boy, Toontje.

And he was always sitting on the front pew. And he said to his wife, Toontje is so faithful but he doesn't understand any of my good sermons for he is feeble minded. Once that pastor told about God's love in Jesus Christ.

And suddenly he saw Toontje understood him. He looked so happy and in my little booklet that I have written, Common Sense Not Needed, where I tell about work among feeble minded that I did, I tell that you can never speak to this kind of people too much about God's love.

The pastor forgot the rest of his audience and only spoke to Toontje. And he saw that the joy increased on the face of that boy. Next day he said, I go to Toontje. I don't know if at last he has understood one of my sermons and if he still knows about God's love.

But when he came in the house of Toontje, the mother told him, Toontje died in his sleep this night. And he said on the dead face of that boy was an expression of heavenly joy. He said, I believe Toontje has tried to take too much of the ocean of God's love in his heart.

So much that his heart was broken of joy. And when you and I should try to take all the love of God in our heart, our hearts could break of joy. But the Holy Spirit gives us strong and fast hearts that we more and more can understand of God's love.

Every Christian Called to Win Souls

And that is good because we have a great task in this world. Perhaps some of you say and think, Ah, I don't know if I am called to be an ambassador for Christ. I must tell you in the time that we saved Jewish people, once we heard that in a Jewish orphanage, all the babies should be killed because they were Jewish babies.

I worked with 30 boys, 20 girls, teenagers, 20 men and 10 women. And I called my boys, I said, Boys, save the orphans, the Jewish babies from the orphanage in Amsterdam. And my boys stole 100 babies. And my girls distributed them over 100 families.

What a joy. I was so happy. And that evening, one of my bravest boys came to me, Pete Hartog. And he said, I believe we do the most important work that exists, just saving lives from the morning till the evening.

I said, Pete, I am so happy when I think of the babies that we have saved. But there is a work that is still more important. And that is not only save lives, but save souls. And tell people about the Lord Jesus.

And then Pete said, perhaps what some of you think, I am a Christian boy, I go to church, I read my Bible, I pray, but telling people about Jesus, that is good work for my pastor. Do you say that, some of you?

Then I say to you the same what I said to Pete. Pete, every Christian is called to be an ambassador for Christ, a representative from heaven on this world. And Jesus said, go and make to my disciples all.

And we have a message for all, for Jesus says, come to me all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest. That means that you and every one of us has a message for all. And I said, Pete, in your life will come a time that you will see the most important work for you to win souls for eternity and for Jesus Christ.

Half a year later, Pete was arrested. And he came in prison and he heard that he had only one week to live. And the day before he was shot, he wrote us a long letter. And he wrote, all the men and the boys in my cell are sentenced to death.

And I am so glad that I could tell them, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved for eternity. Tell your sins to Him and then when tomorrow we will be killed, you have nothing to fear for the judgment day of God.

For Jesus will forgive you your sins. He died at the cross also for you. You have only to ask Him to come into your heart. I have a message tonight for all you young people. And also for the older, but especially for you young people.

A message from Pete Hartog. Don't wait till the last week of your life like he has done. But say to the Lord, Lord take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to Thee. Use me. And when you do that, then you will experience that the Lord will use you to win souls for Christ.

And when you enter a beautiful city and the saints all around you appear, many of them will tell you, it was you that invited me here. Some of you perhaps will say, you can tell that and I am a Christian but I am not good enough to be a soul winner, to be a representative from heaven.

Then I must tell you what I learned in a prison in New Zealand. I have spoken to the prisoners, you are called to be the light of the world. They do not hear that every day. They hear more that they are the darkness of the world.

But I told them, when you receive the Lord Jesus, there is a mission field for you in this prison. And they listened with joy. And when I was through, one said, people, this morning I read the Bible. And in the Bible I read about three murderers.

One's name was Moses. One was David. One was Paul. Huh? Were they murderers? Yes. He was right. We know them as heroes of God, but that man was right. Once they were murderers. And that criminal says, fellows, there's hope for you and me.

What can God do with a surrendered murderer like Moses, David and Paul, and with you and me? And I say to you, what can God do with a total surrendered decent sinner like you and me? We can be used as real heroes of the Lord, as good representatives from heaven in this very dark world.

The Gospel Invitation and the Riches of Christ

I don't know if there are people here who have never received the Lord Jesus as your Savior. Then I must tell you that the way is open. The Gospel is very simple. You know, one of my slogans is KISS. K-I-S-S.

Keep it simple, stupid. And the Gospel is simple. Hallelujah. Jesus did it. The Bible tells it. I believe it and that settles it. And that is for you too. When you have never done it before, say to the Lord, you're yes.

For the Lord Jesus says to you, yes. Many, many things say no to you. No security, no peace, no joy. And Jesus said, yes. Come to me, I will give you rest. And when you say you're yes to the Lord Jesus, then he will write your name in the book of life.

And he will prepare in heaven one of the many mansions. But also there is immediately work for you in this world. You must understand when you say yes to Jesus, then he comes into your heart and he does that miracle that you are born into the very family of God.

And then you may say to God, Father, my Father. And he says to you, my child. Then the worst can happen, the best remains. And don't forget that the moment that you receive the Lord, all the promises of the Bible are yours.

The Lord throws wide the door of the treasure house and bids you come in and take with boldness. I said yesterday, this book is your checkbook. All the promises are written on your name and signed by Jesus Christ.

Not the moment after you have studied a long time the Bible or till you are a mature Christian. No, when you tonight receive the Lord Jesus, all this riches is for you. And that is so good that we learn to live as rich as we are.

And that same moment you are called to be a representative from heaven, an ambassador and a soul winner. I was in a prison in Bermuda and there was a murderer. He was not allowed to come in the meeting, but I visited him in the cell.

A Murderer's Transformation Through Christ's Love

And I saw him there, he had had a beating. Oh, a beating is so terrible, cruel. He was sitting there in the corner of his cell. And I said, oh Lord, give me to find a way to his heart. I said, tell me, have you had a beating?

Yes. I said, was it bad? Yes. I said, did they bring you to the hospital? No, it wasn't as bad. He stood up and came to the bar door. Then I said, did they treat your wounds? Yes, they rubbed them. Then I asked, is there hatred in your heart?

Hatred? My whole heart is full of hatred. I said, that I can understand. He said, you? I said, yes, I. And then I told what I felt when they whipped my sister because she was too weak to shovel sands.

And what I felt when they whipped me, then there came hatred in my heart. And I could not overcome it until I found the text, the love of God is brought into my heart through the Holy Spirit. And I have asked the Lord to make his love stronger than my hatred.

And I said, and that's also for you. When you ask Jesus into your heart, then he will fill your heart with love. And then you can forgive even cruel people. And then I told him the way of salvation and he accepted the Lord.

What a joy. He was very important in the eyes of God. The angels rejoiced. For everyone is important in God's eyes. He said, have you another five minutes? I said, yes, why? He said, in the third cell at the other side of the corridor is a man in great darkness.

Please tell him also of Jesus. A babe in Christ of five minutes old and he had already a burden for souls. How old are you? I went to the man in the third cell. And I wrestled for his soul. And I read him the way of salvation and he accepted also the Lord Jesus.

And before I left I went to the murderer. I said, say fellow, that was good. I went to him. He has also accepted the Lord Jesus in his heart. And then that murderer looked around me and he cried over the corridor.

Hi, brother. Hi, brother. What will it mean? When you will hear in heaven, hi brother, hi sister. You invited me here. Then you will know you have not lived in vain. Do you understand how rich we are in that tremendous love of God?

The Cross, Suffering, and the Depth of Divine Love

At the cross, at the cross, when I first saw the light and the burden of my sins rolled away, it was there by faith I received my sight. When we look unto Jesus and at the cross, we understand God's love.

One of the most cruel things I have experienced was when we were stripped of all our clothing and we had to stand naked hours and hours. Seven times I have experienced it. The first time was the worst.

I said, Betsy, I cannot bear this. This is so terrible. It is the most terrible cruelty what they have done to us. And suddenly it was as if I saw Jesus at the cross. And the Bible tells, they took his garments.

Jesus hanged there naked. And he hanged there for me. And through my suffering I could understand the fraction of the suffering of Jesus and made me so thankful that I could bear my suffering. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all.

Oh, the love that draws salvation's plan. Oh, the grace that brought it down to man. Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary. We can only see a little of the ocean when we stand at the rocky shore.

But out there beyond the ice horizon there is more, there is more. We can only see a little of God's love. A few rich samples of his mighty store. But out there beyond the ice horizon there is more, there is more.

The best is yet to be. Hallelujah. Are you willing to surrender to that love? I have here a glove that cannot do anything. It cannot write, it cannot cook, it cannot do anything. But when my hand is in the glove, now it can even play the piano.

You and I are gloves. And it is the Lord in us who does the job. And when we surrender everything, he will make us his ambassadors and soul winners. When my hand is only in the midst of the glove, then the glove cannot do anything.

My whole hand is in the glove. But the Bible says, Be being filled again and again so that the Lord can work through you. And may the love, mercy and power of Jesus Christ be multiplied to you during these days of titanic spiritual warfare.

The Lord wins and is able to hold you up and cause you to triumph in all situations that you can face. Now we are going to pray together. And I hope you have heard that the Lord has called you. Those of you who never have received the Lord, he has said, come unto me and I will make you a child of God.